This invention relates generally to a beverage server that is ideally suited for airline use or to use in situations where a server must be moved a great deal. More specifically, the present invention relates to a beverage server having a three-position lid that, depending on which position the lid is in, can be removed for filing or cleaning of the server, can be closed to conserve liquids within the server, or can be opened to pour beverages from the server.
Pouring beverages during a flight present unique problems. Aircraft often encounter areas of vary air pressure that act on the plane to produce abrupt elevation changes. These pressure differences, or turbulence, result in a bumpy ride for the passengers of the airplane and make it difficult to pour beverages such as coffee or tea that are typically packaged in individual containers. Furthermore, turbulence could actually tip over containers that are resting on a cart""s surface.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a stable beverage server having a low center of gravity and therefore relatively resistant to tipping over. It is another object of the invention to provide a beverage server having a lid that is easily in place and removed yet remains securely in place on the beverage server. Furthermore, it would be desirable to provide a lid for a beverage server that can selectively open or close a pour spout in the beverage server so as to prevent accidental spills.
These and other objectives and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description, made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views.
A beverage server that meets the objectives of the present invention comprises a container having a top, a bottom, and side walls that are joined so as to form a water-tight vessel. The container has a fill opening in the top thereof that provides access to the interior of the container. A spout is formed through a side wall of the container and opens onto the fill opening formed into the top of the container. A handle is connected to a side wall of the container for manipulating the server. A lid having a top with a skirt wall depending downwardly therefrom is constructed and arranged to be received within the fill opening of the container. The skirt wall will preferably form a water resistant seal with the fill opening of the container.
This skirt wall has a pour opening formed therethrough that may be aligned with the spout formed through the sidewall of the container to allow liquids to be poured from the beverage server. The pour opening preferably has a plurality of ribs formed thereacross that prevent objects such as ice cubes and tea bags from entering the inner passage of the spout.
The lid is rotatable between three positions. The first position of the lid is one in which the skirt wall of the lid may be inserted into and removed from the fill opening. The second position of the lid is one in which the skirt wall of the lid is securely retained in the fill opening of the container and wherein the pour opening of the skirt wall is rotated out of alignment with the spout so as to prevent liquids from exiting the container The third position of the lid is one in which the skirt wall is securely retained within the fill opening of the container and wherein the pour opening of the skirt wall is rotated into alignment with the spout so that liquids may be poured from the container. It is preferable to arrange a handle upon the lid so that when the lid is in its third position, the lid handle is aligned between the spout and the handle. This provides an easy see indication of the position of the lid. The lid will typically rotate between 45 and 90 degrees between its first and third positions. However in the preferred embodiment of the invention the lid will rotate approximately 45 degrees between its first and third positions.
The skirt wall of the lid and the wall of the fill opening have cooperating thread structures formed therein that are constructed and arranged to allow the skirt wall of the lid to be removed and inserted into the fill opening when the lid is rotated into its first position and wherein the skirt wall of the lid is securely retained within fill opening when the lid is rotated into its second and third positions. These thread structures preferably take the form of mating male and female threads. The male and female threads of the thread structures may be formed into either the lid or the fill opening of the container as desired. In addition, the pitch of the threads of the thread structures will be relatively shallow and will preferably be angled at approximately zero degrees.
A protrusion extending from the skirt wall of the lid is constructed and arranged to engage a plurality of detents formed into the fill opening of the container. The interaction of the protrusion and the detents acts to define and positively locate the lid in each of its three positions. Note that the protrusion and the detents may be interchangeably formed in either the lid or the fill opening.
In order to provide for a substantially consistent flow rate of liquids from the server, the lid is provided with an air vent. This air vent is sized relative to the spout such that a substantially consistent flow rate of between 1.5 and 3 ounces of fluid per second may be poured from the spout without regard for the quantity of fluid contained within the server. Preferably the vent and spout will be sized to provide a substantially consistent flow rate of approximately 2 ounces per second. One embodiment of the air vent may include a pointer that is rotatable between a plurality of positions that respectively indicate the type of liquid that is within the container.